Chapter 56
"Today, Lipia is the star of the show."
Regarding the two who collapsed, Lipia heals their wounds with recovery magic.
The mage was especially severely injured, but after taking time, the wounds somehow closed. The swordswoman's limbs were also temporarily reattached. Neither of them is fully healed, and if they move too much, their wounds will reopen immediately, but as long as they rest, there should be no problem.
"......Why did you help us?"
The swordswoman, who turns out to be a man inside, asked this after receiving treatment. He has now removed his helmet, revealing a rugged face in his thirties. He still seems to retain some rationality.
"I clearly declared it, didn't I? I have no intention of fighting."
"But......what about this pile of corpses?"
"That's not our doing; it's the work of the Demon King Cult lying over there. Even I'm annoyed by it."
"......Aren't the Demon King and the Demon King Cult allies?"
"Not at all. In fact, I want to eradicate the cult."
"......I see."
"That's right. So, can you do something about that lord's rampage? It's really a nuisance when he picks a fight I can't win. If I'm attacked, I'll naturally retaliate, but I don't intend to kill any more than necessary."
"......I am a knight serving the Yusef family. If the lord commands me to fight, I will fight."
"Calling yourself a loyal subject sounds nice, but isn't it just mindlessly following orders?"
The black knight grimaces bitterly.
"......Well, anyway, I just want to end this pointless fighting. What should I do? Should I thoroughly beat up that lord and crush his will to fight?"
"......I don't know. I don't know what I should do......"
"......Ah, okay then. I'll handle it myself......huh?"
Someone who isn't a soldier approaches Yuurai and her group.
It's an elderly man with a stern face, accompanied by a man and woman in their twenties. The elderly man carries no weapon, but the man and woman behind him are equipped with weapons and armor. The young man holds a sword, while the woman wields a spear.
"......What now?"
Gilka and Claire stand protectively in front of Yuurai.
The three stop about five meters away, and the elderly man speaks.
"......I am Jilbedo Digni, the head of the Adventurer Guild in Yusef. Behind me are adventurers Zolka and Iris. We have no intention of fighting. We just want to talk with the Demon King."
"Oh, the head of the Adventurer Guild. What do you want to talk about?"
"......Is it true that if we don't attack, the Demon King won't attack us?"
"Yeah, it's true."
"......And that you want to establish a friendly relationship with us?"
"That's also true."
Jilbedo stares intently into Yuurai's eyes, as if trying to discern the truth of her words.
"......I understand what happened here. The Demon King hasn't deliberately killed anyone."
"Yeah, I haven't killed anyone. In fact, I've helped."
"......If that's the case, I have a proposal. I want the Demon King to take control of the Town of Yusef."
Yuurai is surprised by Jilbedo's words.
"Huh...... So, not just a promise of mutual non-interference, but you want to be under my control? Is that something you can decide on your own, Jilbedo?"
"Originally, this isn't something I should decide alone. And I can't convince all the townspeople right away either. But...... that man can no longer serve as a ruler. Even if I were to take over, there would be voices of discontent. That's where I'd like to borrow the Demon King's power."
"My power?"
"I want the Demon King to dominate this town. And after that, I want to be entrusted with its governance. If that happens, I will create a town that cooperates with the Demon King."
"Huh...... Well, for my part, I'm grateful if the town becomes cooperative. I don't even mind if Jilbedo is actually using me to become a powerful figure."
"That's not it! The guild leader isn't trying to become a powerful figure! It's just that there's no other way for the people of this town to survive!"
The young man shouts in a voice tinged with anger.
"Stop it, Zolka. The Demon King is a tolerant person, but if she wanted to, she could kill you in an instant."
"Tch......"
Reprimanded by the guild leader, the young man Zolka falls silent.
Though the young man doesn't understand the difference in strength, Yuurai can somewhat relate to his feelings, so she isn't irritated.
"......Well, I don't demand subservience, so as long as you don't harm me, I won't retaliate. Anyway, you're saying I should become the ruler of this town and appoint Jilbedo as governor, right? Hmm......"
(No matter how much I say I want to build a friendly relationship, it won't happen naturally. I might need to suppress them with force temporarily......)
"Well, alright. So, what about that lord?"
"......I'll kill him. Let that be proof of my loyalty to the Demon King."
"......Kill him? Isn't imprisoning him enough?"
"This is my way of taking responsibility. Besides, for that man, there's no other salvation...... Having lost the people most precious to him, continuing to live would only be painful......"
Jilbedo wears a sorrowful expression, as if he had lost his own child.
Perhaps Jilbedo had a close relationship with the lord's children. As the guild leader, that wouldn't be surprising.
"......I don't understand the nuances of that, so I'll leave it to you."
Jilbedo nods gravely.
"W-Wait, please! Lord Jilbedo! To extinguish the bloodline of Yusef......"
The black knight clings to Jilbedo.
"Titan, there's nothing we can do anymore. The bloodline of Yusef will end, but the Town of Yusef will remain. For the sake of the people of this town, fight alongside us from now on."
"Lord Jilbedo......"
"We were defeated by the Demon King. Yet, a path to survival remains thanks to the Demon King's mercy. That's better than everything turning to ashes."
"......Yes."
The black knight hangs his head. Jilbedo gently pats his shoulder.
"Let's go, Zolka, Iris."
The three head toward the Lord's Castle.
"Guild leader, are you going to fight with just the three of you?"
"Yes...... This is enough. Zolka and Iris are strong. Within human standards, that is."
"I see. Then, I'll leave the rest to you."
"I'll return here when it's over. Please wait a little."
"Understood."
Seeing the three off, Yuurai lets out a sigh.
"The situation seems to be calming down, but me taking control of this town...... I don't even want to expand my territory...... Wasn't there a better way to handle this?"
Claire responds.
"For a while, I think the world will be divided into those who oppose Yuurai and those who side with her. And those who believe there's no future in opposing her will have no choice but to side with her. In that case, it's more convenient to appear as if they're cooperating reluctantly because they've been dominated, rather than willingly becoming allies. That's why Jilbedo chose this path."
"......I see."
"I don't know if this is the best option, but I don't think it's a bad one either. If Yuurai lends her strength and Jilbedo governs, the town should stabilize."
"......I see. I guess I'll observe the situation for now."
Yuurai had hoped to interact with Yusef on equal terms.
However, it doesn't seem to be that simple.
(At this rate, will I end up ruling a large nation? Being a king or something sounds like such a hassle...... I just want to live freely and leisurely...... Being an ordinary citizen is the best......)
Her title is Demon King, but inside, she's just an ordinary person.
For someone like Yuurai, the best path forward isn't clear.
She can only move forward by trial and error, causing unnecessary sacrifices along the way.
"......I'm just strong and nothing else, so everyone, I'll be relying on your cooperation from now on."
Claire, Lipia, and Gilka nod in agreement.